How Long Will I Love You?
by Winddragon Eternal
Summary: After a bad day at work, one particular fight between Nick and Judy threatens to destroy the special bond they share with each other. When Judy is left alone, she can't help but ask the question that's been haunting her thoughts – does he still love her? The sequel to I Heard You Were A Wild One.


_Hey there readers, Wind here. It's been a while, but I'm back!_

 _As many of you marked_ I Heard You Were a Wild One _as a favourite_ _, I decided to follow up as best I could with a sequel; but you can still read this one by itself. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **How Long Will I Love You?**

The local park at Maredison Square was a well-known spot in the heart of Zootopia, a favorite place for many animals to hang out.

There were plenty of kids – both little predators and prey – playing in the sandbox, swinging in the jungle gyms or floating tiny sailboats in the wading pond. At the sound of the happy tinkle playing from the ice-cream van, they ran over to the big hearty-laughing elephant vendor with shrieks of delight. Their parents looked on with joy in their eyes, while couples could be seen strolling leisurely along the sunset-lit pavement.

If any of them had paid closer attention, they would have noticed the bunny with the droopy ears sitting on a bench, all alone and as grey as a raincloud.

And had they sat close to her, they would have been tempted to asked Judy Hopps what was the matter with her.

She had been there all evening, crying silently to herself as she watched the sun sink slowly into the horizon. By now, all the sobs had left her petite body. To be honest, it was almost a relief for Judy. No one had to see a well-known officer – even if she was off-duty – bawling her eyes out like a baby.

And yet, the tears were still streaming down her cheeks.

 _I really messed up big time_ , she told herself. _I know I should keep my hopes up, but… I just can't. It's all over now._

She took a deep breath and stared up into the evening sky.

 _How long do I love him?_

There had always been silly rows about whose turn it was to use the bathroom, and petty squabbles over who owned what space. Heck, they'd even argued once for ten minutes over what pizza they were going to order.

But never had she expected the worst of fights to happen.

And Nick Wilde was going to break up with her.

The thought of it alone sent another lump up her throat, and she swallowed hard. Quickly, she wiped her face with her arm when no one was looking, stifling a sob.

 _How could a day so ordinary turn out to be this horrible?  
_

* * *

It had been a pretty rough week for both of them.

While they still had bills and the monthly rent to pay, their work at the ZPD wasn't exactly a bowl of peaches and cream.

It wasn't so much the assignments that bothered Judy; she and Nick always worked best as a team – whether it was taking down criminals, going on undercover operations or issuing out parking tickets.

From the first moment she moved in with the fox, Judy could tell that this was putting an improvement in their relationship. Being more than just roommates.

But the honeymoon phase was over.

And lately, they were experiencing more bumps in the road than she'd imagined.

* * *

"Hopps! Wilde! What do you have to say for yourselves?"

The start of the day was just the icing on the cake. Thanks to a faulty alarm, Nick and Judy overslept and were an hour late to work – the first of many marks to go onto their record. Their car's engine blew a gasket, but seeing as the other police cruisers were taken, they had to remain vehicle-less for a week.

And now, they were facing a clearly irritated Chief Bogo in his office.

"I gave you the Tundratown smuggling case as requested. And yet somehow, the both of you manage to screw it up in one day! You let our prime suspect escape!"

Judy winced, but kept her back straight. "Sir, it wasn't my fault. I was chasing the wolf down Evergreen Street. I would've caught him, if Nick hadn't come barging out of a sideway alley and crashed into me. I asked him to tail behind me, but he disobeyed a directive."

Next to her, Nick rolled his eyes.

"I told you before, Carrots – I know a lot of shortcuts. That was the fastest way to cut him off! If you'd listen to me and let me do my thing, Big Bad Wolf would've been behind bars by now."

To his surprise, an infuriated Judy began stabbing her paw into his chest.

"No, you listen! If you'd just shut up and followed my orders, we wouldn't be stuck with this problem in the first place! I didn't want you sneaking off on your own because I needed backup! And where the hell were you?"

"Oh I don't know _, trying to help_? You know, I wish you'd cut me some slack and put your faith in your partner!" Nick shot back. "Or have you forgotten how to trust a fox?"

They both jumped as Chief Bogo slammed a fist on his desk.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! Clearly, I overestimated myself when I handed this case to a pair of rookies. You two leave me no choice. I am reassigning the case to Wolford and Greyback. Perhaps a pack of wolves can learn to trust each other." He paused to straighten some files. "As for the both of you, I want a full report on my desk tomorrow at nine hundred hours sharp. No excuses."

"But Chief Bogo, if–"

"I said _no excuses_ , Hopps. That's final." He pointed a hoof to the door. "You're both dismissed. Seeing as it'll be a while before we can issue a warrant, you might as well go home."

"Thank you, Chief." There was a dangerous pause in the air as Nick and Judy glanced at each other with dirty looks, before finally storming out.

* * *

Once they got home, the first thing Judy did was head straight for the bathroom.

All she needed right now was a good hot shower, and a moment to herself. Standing under the faucet, Judy sighed with relief as the water washed over her tired body and the anger she still harbored.

By the time she was finished, part of her was still nervous about going out there. _If only I didn't have to face Nick so soon. I mean, I did snap at him. What if he's still mad at me?_

She kept her head down, afraid of looking at Nick as she got out of the bathroom. But he didn't seem to notice she was even there at all. Or maybe he was, since he went in immediately, slamming the door behind him.

All alone, the apartment they shared now seemed more dismal than ever.

Judy went over to the couch and threw herself on it. She wasn't exactly in the mood to watch any TV. Nor did she feel tired in the slightest.

She groaned. Might as well start writing that dreaded report.

Then she remembered that the only computer she had was the one on her desk – back at the ZPD. To make up for time, a rough draft with pen and paper would do for now.

 _Where did I put my lucky carrot pen?_ _Shoot! I know I left it in my pockets!_

She fumbled with her uniform, searching every possible nook and cranny but found nothing. _Did I leave it back at the ZPD? But I'm pretty sure I had it when we got back!_

Fearing for the loss of her favourite carrot pen, the bunny took a deep breath. _Just calm down. You'll find your pen, Hopps. You always know where to find things. How about a drink?_ She went into the kitchen, got a glass of orange juice and went back to the living room.

Then it happened.

As Judy placed the mug on the coffee table, she could almost feel it brushing hard against something else. Something that slipped and fell onto the carpet with a loud ping.

Judy's heart skipped a beat. Her orange carrot pen lay dismantled on the floor, possibly ruined beyond repair. She put a paw to her gaping mouth.

Then the bathroom door clicked, and Nick came out, his bottom half wrapped in a towel. He saw the mess on the floor, and Judy looking back at him. He gulped.

"Oh shoot! I forgot to tell you, Carrots, but your pen fell out of your pants, so I put it on the coffee table! I thought you might be able to see it clearly there. Sorry. My bad. Hehe."

The sound of Nick's weak chuckle was like scraping chalk on a blackboard to Judy's ears. And then, for the first time in a while, the orange in Judy's sight was beginning to turn a burning fiery red.

"Sorry? Now you're sorry?!" she yelled. "Why didn't you just put it back in my pocket? You think I can read your mind? You're so bloody dumb for a fox! Don't you have any common sense at all! How am I going to finish writing our report for Chief Bogo now?"

Nick slowly approached her, paws raised with caution. "Hey, calm your fluffy tail, Hopps. I know we've both had a bad day and all. But there's no need to take it out on me. Besides, whatever happened to keeping our work issues separate from household affairs?"

"Shut up! Just shut up, Nick! You're always getting on my nerves! And now you've ruined my favourite pen! Why don't you just buzz off and leave me alone?"

By now, it was clear that she wasn't the only one who had lost her temper.

"Okay, fine! You want me to leave you alone? I'm done with all of this! I quit! First thing tomorrow, I'm resigning from the ZPD!"

"You can't do that! In case you've forgotten, we both have reports to send in to the Chief, no thanks to you!"

"Well you can tell Chief Buffalo Butt to take my badge and shove it up his ass! I'm done taking orders from you, _officer_. I quit."

Judy forced out a harsh laugh. "Hah! That's what you've always been, Nick! You're a quitter! A quitter who never had the guts to try something new, who's afraid to say it to my face!"

"You want guts? Fine, I'll tell you what I think! I think you're nothing but a stupid, worthless, empty-headed… _female_!"

This time, Judy had no smart comeback. Her lip began to quiver a little.

It wasn't just what Nick said, though she remembered the old saying about sticks and stones and words. But the way he spat each word, as though they were little flecks of venom, was clearly meant to hurt her.

"What did you say?" There was a tremble in her voice.

"I said you're stupid, okay? I've never met a bunny as stupid and pathetic as you! Geez! You've been nothing but a pain in my butt! I should have just dated some fox girl instead! Why don't you do me a favor and just move out? Don't ever come back!"

Nick's eyes suddenly widened, as though he'd seen a ghost.

The echoes of his words lingered silently across the room.

Judy's eyes were welling up. The pain was building up in her trembling chest. She felt like throwing up.

 _I can't do this anymore… I just – I can't…_

Stumbling blindly, she ran out of the apartment, fighting back tears. From behind her, he could hear Nick pleading.

"Carrots! Judy, wait! I –"

The only sound that greeted him was the resounding slam of the door.

* * *

 _So this is how it ends, huh?_

Back at the bench in Maredison Square Park, the fight played over and over in Judy's head like a bad tape on rewind.

She couldn't get the words to stop ringing in her ears. Nor could she forget the look in Nick's eyes, the way he basically told her to get out of his life.

Moving in with Nick was a dream come true. _But… was I being rash in making this decision? Being with Nick, working on our relationship… I really thought we were giving ourselves a chance._

Her vision was a lot darker than usual. _Are my eyes that puffy?_ Only now as Judy looked up did she realize it was night. The sun was completely gone, giving way to the first set of stars appearing in the moonlit sky.

Even with the streetlights and lampposts all around the park, Judy could see how magnificent the view of the starry heavens was. It reminded her of those nights back in Bunnyburrow where she would camp out under the skies. For the first time since she left the apartment, a smile lit up Judy's face.

 _It's beautiful. If only Nick were here to see this._

"Carrots?" Judy's ears perked up.

To her right, Nick gestured at the bench, as though he were a stranger who had just casually walked up. "Mind if I sit here?"

There was a pause. Shaking her head, Judy scooted over as she gave Nick some space. They remained seated on both ends of the bench, with the empty space between them growing longer and longer into an uncomfortable silence.

It was Judy who spoke first. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I told you, I know a lot of shortcuts," said Nick, not in the least bit condescending this time. "Plus, this here was a very frequent spot during my Popsicle selling days. Not," he added quickly, "that I have any ideas of going back to my previous job."

They watched as the remaining kids left with their ice-creams, while the elephant vendor started to pack up his truck, calling it a night.

Judy looked at Nick. "Did you really mean what you said?"

"About quitting the ZPD? Nah." He waved the thought off. "Besides, I love my job too much. Thanks to you, I even get to keep the tax evasions off my back as a bonus." Nick laughed, but stopped quickly once he noticed Judy hadn't so much as cracked a smile.

"No, not about that." The waterworks were about to start up again, but no way was Judy going to show she was vulnerable. "Listen… I – I understand if you'll want to s–switch partners for a while. I know I can be… a little demanding at times."

"Wait, what? Hang on," Nick raised a paw. "I would never, never, in a million years, work with another partner. Not even if Chief Bogo threatened me to. The only partner I'll ever work with is sitting right here next to me." He gently nudged Judy's shoulder.

"But – but why?"

"Because you're all I need, Carrots. Whenever I'm with you, I'm standing with an army."

* * *

 _I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not –_

The tears were already streaming down her cheeks, but Judy didn't care one bit as she leapt into Nick's arms. She buried herself into the comforting embrace and the familiar smell of his cologne as she cried into his shirt, with racking sobs and a runny nose.

"It's okay. Shh... I got you, Carrots," she heard Nick's comforting voice, followed by the gentle strokes of his paws against her back. She sobbed louder.

"I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean what I said back at the apartment, okay? I was a major jerk."

"Y-yeah, yeah you were," sniffled the bunny, looking up at him. "But I'm sorry too; I shouldn't have yelled at you about the pen."

"That thing? Hey, I know a guy who fixes things using scrap parts." He ruffled her head. "Maybe he can get your pen up and running again."

By now Judy had calmed down a little. "It's okay, Nick. I can always get another recorder pen when I go back to Bunnyburrow. It's just… There's something inside that pen that's very special to me."

"Oh yeah?"

She smiled, leaning back against Nick's chest. "Remember that file with your voice in it? The one I caught on tape? Yes, _that one_."

It was a good thing Nick was sitting under a streetlight, or Judy would have noticed his face turning a bright beet red. "Carrots! I can't believe you still have that voice file!

"Oh, believe it. Because I'm waiting for you to keep that promise, Nicholas Wilde."

And then, to Judy's surprise, Nick picked her up and sat her on his lap like a child, facing him. She squirmed a little, but blushed as he leaned in close and began to clean her face. His tongue was warm and soft, brushing along her teary cheeks.

"There. So you don't look like you've been a mess." He put her down, before standing up to offer her a paw. "Officer Hopps, I've come to escort you home."

Judy gave him a sad smile. "Sorry, Nick. But I can't go back with you just yet."

"Why not?" She could detect a falter in Nick's voice. "Are you… still mad at me? I wish I could take back every stupid thing I said."

Judy looked up at Nick, giving him a playful wink. "What are we talking about? You silly fox, I still have that report to finish for the Chief tomorrow. In case you've forgotten, we've got less than ten hours to go."

"Aw, Carrots. Let's stop being cops for one second and just enjoy the moment?"

He did have a point there, thought Judy. _After all, the night is still young._

"Sure."

* * *

If anyone had been walking in the park right now, they would've had to see it to believe it: the unusual sight of a fox and a bunny sitting side by side on a bench, enjoying the quiet night.

"Say, Officer Wilde? You don't really have any fox girls waiting, do you?" Judy asked playfully.

"Please. I may look like a ladies' fox, but my hustling career was over 200,000 Popsicles and zero girlfriends. Story of my life."

"Hardy har. I find that hard to believe."

She watched as Nick rested his arms along the length of the bench, breathing in deeply.

"Nick? Do you love me?"

Part of her was expecting him to answer her with a question of his own. Instead, the fox gathered her close and wrapped her in a cuddle.

"Look at the sky, Carrots. Tell me what you see."

At first, the bunny thought it was some sort of distraction. But she glanced upwards all the same. "Stars. Bright, shiny stars."

She was rewarded with a kiss on the forehead.

"As long as there's stars above us, then that's how long I'll love you. You can count on that."

"And longer if you wanted to?"

Judy blushed as Nick continued to plant a series of kisses along her fluttery ear. Turning around to look into the fox's lingering gaze, she heard the promise in his voice before the both of them were lost in each other's touch, sealed with a kiss.

"Much, much longer."

 **~ The End ~  
**

* * *

 _And that's a wrap!_ **  
**

 _So I know I haven't written something for myself and instead have been working on some projects for friends. But considering what happened in my last story_ The Call _, that project left me in an emotional drain for weeks._

 _To those who left reviews for_ The Call, _thank you for your honest feedback. Rest assured, I am never writing another story like that again – at least, not one that ends on such a depressing note._

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it. And until next time, see ya!_

 _"Always believe in your stories,"_

 _~ Wind_


End file.
